NEW DELHI: A section of the BJP has questioned the party’s pro-OBC credentials in the candidate selection for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, saying despite releasing three lists of candidates, none is from the community that comprises 30-40 per cent of the region’s population.
This “exclusion” has led to significant discontent among OBC voters, who feel sidelined despite BJP’s assertion of advocacy for their rights.
The party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) is meeting again on Thursday. OBC leaders from the region hope that at least one candidate belonging to the community would get the nomination.
However, there is little scope: For the remaining six assembly seats in the Jammu region, for which candidates are expected to be announced soon, three are reserved for SCs and the rest are general seats, remarked a BJP source.
There are 43 assembly seats in the Jammu region and 47 in Kashmir. The BJP’s current list includes more than 14 candidates from the Muslim community but excludes any OBC representative.
An OBC leader from the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit expressed frustration, saying the absence of OBC candidates contradicted the BJP’s claims of equitable representation, especially in areas with substantial OBC absence.
The BJP has announced 44 candidates for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly. It is expected that the party will field its candidates at least on 58 constituencies. “On the remaining seats, there is a strong possibility of supporting strong independent candidates,” hinted a senior leader.
Many of the BJP’s new candidates are from other parties such as the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, and Apni Party. However, none of them belongs to the OBCs.
The party has also fielded a candidate from the Samba assembly seat that previously belonged to the National Conference. The final candidate selection, particularly for the Jammu region, is anticipated following the Central Election Committee meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior party functionaries.